To finish off 2024 and reflect on the 35 episodes of The Grand Challengers Podcast so far, here is a very special episode. Guests from across the show got to ask me a question of their choosing and I have compiled them into a special episode titled "Tables Turned". In this episode, we look into 22 questions relating to the origin story and plans for the podcast, what it has taught me, my life and career choices, me answering my own questions and advice I can offer. Join me in this beautiful moment of looking back on the past two years of the show and hear about the challenges and fun times that I have experienced!

The podcast will return in 2025 with brand new episodes, brand new guests and even some familiar faces! Until then, I hope you enjoyed the listening experience so far and that this episode perhaps awakens your curiosity to check out the collection of existing stories offered by many inspiring individuals across broad ranges of topics.

Podcast Intro/Outro Song: Astral Dance by Jimit (Check out more of Jimit's tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0hc1IxPxpmUgEIZGGUGrvm?si=z_uif82xQoqAqUy8KpB7JQ)

Chapters:
0:00 Preamble
0:21 Intro
1:36 Introducing the special episode
3:34 Why the podcast
5:28 The Ivory Tower
8:05 How long
9:37 Bloopers or not
11:54 A guest wishlist
15:41 An expanded guest wishlist
19:03 Effect of the podcast on oneself
21:24 How the podcast gives me hope
23:17 How have things changed across the production
26:41 Life and languages
28:43 Why Engineering, what else
37:22 Moving countries
41:18 Home is where the heart is
42:34 Staying in Switzerland
45:35 More general life advice
49:39 From my own PhD supervisor
51:25 My questions thrown back at me
51:45 If you had a magic wand?
54:09 Advice for young professionals
1:00:37 Wrap up - support the show
1:02:20 Outro

Detailed shownotes over at: petermbach.com/podcast for more in-depth information about each episode.
Join the community over at: linkedin.com/company/tgcpodcast and let's connect across the world!

Subscribe and listen to the podcast (and do please leave a review/rating) on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts from.
Your subscription/follow will greatly help the show grow and reach a wider audience.

Hosted by Peter Marcus Bach (www.petermbach.com), follow me on:

• X (fomerly Twitter): @petermbach
• Instagram: @petermbach87
• Subscribe to my channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PeterMarcusBach/

Yannick Back, Research Fellow at the Unit of Environmental Engineering, Innsbruck University shares an alternative way of looking at planning for urban heat mitigation, which is the intrinsic link between water and energy fluxes. We discuss how Yannick has harnessed the power of remote sensing (both aerial and satellite data sets) and geographic information systems to develop new ways of assessing and mitigating urban heat in cities. We also hear Yannick's take on what is needed for alpine areas and the world to adapt to the challenges of climate change.

Podcast Intro/Outro Song: Starsky by Alex Keren (Check out more of his tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vZ3lENfDLjkln8scBJ8mW)

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Guest Intro and Ice Hockey
5:16 Austria, not to be confused with Australia
11:46 Getting into urban heat
18:33 How a geographer integrates with engineers
26:41 The rapid fine-scale approach and thermal comfort
35:20 Adding computational fluid dynamics
38:59 Surface energy fluxes - an alternative perspective to heat
45:27 Is there a “magic” number for urban heat mitigation?
50:31 The essential ink between water and energy
54:07 Key future challenges for alpine regions
55:58 The global data availability question
58:37 Yannick’s future research plans
1:00:34 Urban climate models vs. data ubiquity
1:02:51 Q&A Start
1:03:13 What inspires you?
1:05:18 Key event, person, book
1:07:57 If you had a magic wand?
1:11:04 Biggest challenge in career to date
1:14:59 Time management
1:17:08 Advice for young researchers
1:17:52 Where can people reach you?
1:18:58 Final Message
1:21:39 Outro

Detailed shownotes over at: petermbach.com/podcast for more in-depth information about each episode.
Join the community over at: linkedin.com/company/tgcpodcast and let's connect across the world!

Subscribe and listen to the podcast (and do please leave a review/rating) on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts from.
Your subscription/follow will greatly help the show grow and reach a wider audience.

Hosted by Peter Marcus Bach (www.petermbach.com), follow me on:

• X (fomerly Twitter): @petermbach
• Instagram: @petermbach87
• Subscribe to my channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PeterMarcusBach/

Denise Mitrano, Assistant Professor in the Environmental System Science Department at ETH Zurich sheds some light into the topic of plastics pollution, from macro and micro to nano. Trained as an analytical chemist, we hear how Denise is using her skills to better understand how we can quantify, replace and reduce the sources for better environmental and human health protection. We also reflect on the role that science needs to play in future legislation around environmental protection and some tips on being an academic in a very dynamic discipline.

Podcast Intro/Outro Song: Starsky by Alex Keren (Check out more of his tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vZ3lENfDLjkln8scBJ8mW)

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Guest Intro and getting out of your comfort zone
6:25 Discovering environmental chemistry and nanomaterials
13:17 Contaminants of emerging concern
16:16 Denise’s journey to Switzerland
18:00 Plastics 101
24:53 Two historical examples of plastics management
27:23 Can we create a plastic-free world?
30:36 Denise’s Research Pillar 1 - Analytical
34:40 Denise’s Research Pillar 2 - Transport and Fate
41:23 Metal-doped Microplastics
47:39 Denise’s Research Pillar 3 - Policy and Regulation
51:43 Denise’s Future Research Trajectory
57:43 Q&A Start
58:00 What inspires you?
58:56 If you had a magic wand?
1:01:16 Key event, person, book
1:02:59 Time management
1:05:07 Biggest challenge in career to date
1:07:44 Advice for young researchers
1:08:44 Where can people reach you?
1:09:07 Final Message
1:09:45 Outro

Detailed shownotes over at: petermbach.com/podcast for more in-depth information about each episode.
Join the community over at: linkedin.com/company/tgcpodcast and let's connect across the world!

Subscribe and listen to the podcast (and do please leave a review/rating) on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts from.
Your subscription/follow will greatly help the show grow and reach a wider audience.

Hosted by Peter Marcus Bach (www.petermbach.com), follow me on:

• X (fomerly Twitter): @petermbach
• Instagram: @petermbach87
• Subscribe to my channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PeterMarcusBach/

Bill Hunt, Professor and Extension specialist at North Carolina State University, USA shares with us his journey from a love of hydrology to creating major impact in America's stormwater management. We cover his achievements in the field of stormwater green infrastructure, his current activities in ancient Roman engineering and hear his wisdom on life lessons he has learnt along the way and our vital connection to water. Life is a journey and Bill's incredible advice can help you find our own path to walk.

Podcast Intro/Outro Song: Starsky by Alex Keren (Check out more of his tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vZ3lENfDLjkln8scBJ8mW)

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Guest Intro and Hurricane Season
4:43 Our first meeting
6:26 The engineering or economic studies debate
12:31 Your interest as a child foretells your future
18:58 What is an Extension Specialist?
23:25 Humility led to insights on mosquitos in stormwater wetlands
28:56 The growing to do list around water quality
32:41 How diverse is stormwater management in the US?
38:01 The versatility of bioretention systems
42:10 Tips on maintenance of stormwater green infrastructure
46:41 Bill's PhD bioretention system after 20 years
48:42 Bill's recent book on stormwater green infrastructure
51:16 From stormwater to ancient Roman water management
56:43 Our connection to water
1:01:22 Finding your calling
1:03:58 Tackling inequalities in cities
1:09:15 Q&A Start
1:09:36 What inspires you?
1:12:12 Key event, person, book
1:14:47 If you had a magic wand?
1:17:50 Biggest challenge in career to date
1:26:03 Time management
1:28:52 Advice for young researchers
1:30:24 Where can people reach you?
1:31:41 Final Message
1:34:15 Outro

Detailed shownotes over at: petermbach.com/podcast for more in-depth information about each episode.
Join the community over at: linkedin.com/company/tgcpodcast and let's connect across the world!

Subscribe and listen to the podcast (and do please leave a review/rating) on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts from.
Your subscription/follow will greatly help the show grow and reach a wider audience.

Hosted by Peter Marcus Bach (www.petermbach.com), follow me on:

• X (fomerly Twitter): @petermbach
• Instagram: @petermbach87
• Subscribe to my channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PeterMarcusBach/

Luis Angel Sañudo Fontaneda, Associate Professor at the University of Oviedo, Spain, brings us on a journey through Spain's history in adopting Sustainable Drainage Systems and how its dynamic policies have shifted towards climate adaptation and sustainability. We look into the marvel of pervious pavements and swale systems, an engineering-focussed start to the Blue-Green Infrastructure journey and reflect on the challenges of being an academic trying to change the world.

Podcast Intro/Outro Song: Starsky by Alex Keren (Check out more of his tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vZ3lENfDLjkln8scBJ8mW)

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:00 Guest Intro and Academic Conferencing
7:26 A series of fun coincidences and an announcement
9:27 Spain, Cantabria, Geography and Climate
12:52 Spain's History in SuDS and Luis' entry
21:30 Pervious Pavements 101
36:18 Getting into Swales
41:41 Receptivity towards SuDS in Spain
47:04 Luis' next SuDS endeavour
49:43 Q&A Start
50:06 What inspires you?
51:42 Key event, person, book
58:28 If you had a magic wand?
1:07:19 Time management
1:11:14 Advice for young researchers
1:12:43 Where can people reach you?
1:13:27 Final Message
1:14:34 Outro

Detailed shownotes over at: petermbach.com/podcast for more in-depth information about each episode.
Join the community over at: linkedin.com/company/tgcpodcast and let's connect across the world!

Subscribe and listen to the podcast (and do please leave a review/rating) on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts from.
Your subscription/follow will greatly help the show grow and reach a wider audience.

Hosted by Peter Marcus Bach (www.petermbach.com), follow me on:

• X (fomerly Twitter): @petermbach
• Instagram: @petermbach87
• Subscribe to my channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PeterMarcusBach/

Neil Armitage, Emeritus Professor from the University of Cape Town reflects on his journey from engineering through to academia and the human side of sustainable drainage systems. We reflect on South Africa's integrated urban water management challenges and have fun picking at terminology around SuDS, WSUD, LIDs and the like. We see what Neil is up to at the moment and look back at the major lessons he has learnt.

Podcast Intro/Outro Song: Starsky by Alex Keren (Check out more of his tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vZ3lENfDLjkln8scBJ8mW)

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Guest Intro and the Canoe Chute Story
9:05 Choosing Water Engineering by elimination
12:42 From Zimbabwe to Cape Town
14:44 The PhD and a more impactful side project
19:49 Neil’s greywater and sanitation chapter
23:45 Terminology around sustainable drainage
30:58 The Future Water Research Institute at Uni Cape Town
33:13 Cape Town Day Zero Drought
39:18 Stormwater harvesting for drought-proofing?
41:54 Creating change in South Africa with community
48:41 Summarizing the concept of SuDS
49:32 A stormwater engineer’s greatest ally
51:40 Gravity sucks
56:15 Neil’s current endeavours
1:05:07 Q&A Start
1:05:19 What inspires you?
1:07:34 Key moment, book, person
1:11:18 If you had a magic wand?
1:12:39 Time management
1:18:28 Advice for young researchers
1:20:00 Where can people reach you?
1:20:45 Final Message
1:22:07 Outro

Detailed shownotes over at: petermbach.com/podcast for more in-depth information about each episode.
Join the community over at: linkedin.com/company/tgcpodcast and let's connect across the world!

Subscribe and listen to the podcast (and do please leave a review/rating) on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts from.
Your subscription/follow will greatly help the show grow and reach a wider audience.

Hosted by Peter Marcus Bach (www.petermbach.com), follow me on:

• X (fomerly Twitter): @petermbach
• Instagram: @petermbach87
• Subscribe to my channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PeterMarcusBach/

Tobias Baur, Professor in Landscape Architecture at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST), Rapperswil and former partner at Studio Ramboll-Dreiseitl, sheds some light on Singapore's Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Program, the country's journey in water management, and how sponge cities have evolved from stormwater to climate adaptation in recent years in Asia and Europe. We discuss the important role that interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral collaboration played in ensuring a successful renaturalisation of an urban stream in the flagship Bishan Ang Mo Kio Park project and the challenges going forward.

Podcast Intro/Outro Song: Starsky by Alex Keren (Check out more of his tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vZ3lENfDLjkln8scBJ8mW)

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Guest Intro and Reflections on Singapore
5:04 Early inspiration for water in landscape design
9:00 Singapore's early water management leadership
12:15 The ABC Waters Programme
15:46 The Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park Project
27:20 Tobias' other projects around Singapore
31:58 Back in Europe and comparisons with the tropics
36:14 Sponge Cities in Switzerland
40:06 The role of the landscape architect and designer
42:34 Q&A Start
42:54 What inspires you?
44:10 Key event, person, book
44:40 If you had a magic wand?
46:16 Biggest challenge in career to date
48:20 Time management
50:00 Advice for young researchers
51:05 Where can people reach you?
51:36 Final Message
52:02 Outro

Detailed shownotes over at: petermbach.com/podcast for more in-depth information about each episode.
Join the community over at: linkedin.com/company/tgcpodcast and let's connect across the world!

Subscribe and listen to the podcast (and do please leave a review/rating) on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts from.
Your subscription/follow will greatly help the show grow and reach a wider audience.

Hosted by Peter Marcus Bach (www.petermbach.com), follow me on:

• X (fomerly Twitter): @petermbach
• Instagram: @petermbach87
• Subscribe to my channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PeterMarcusBach/

Katrin Pakizer, Research Associate from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology (Eawag) joins us to discuss how to create transformative change and to transition cities towards more sustainable natural resources management from the lenses of water infrastructure, biodiversity and all the many infrastructures and resources beneath our feet. We look at the challenges that we are likely to face in future in these areas due to climate change and what changes have to happen in institutions if we want to succeed in being more sustainable.

Podcast Intro/Outro Song: Starsky by Alex Keren (Check out more of his tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vZ3lENfDLjkln8scBJ8mW)

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Guest Intro and fascination with Lichen
5:58 What came first, social sciences or nature
7:55 Katrin's journey to decentralized water systems
14:42 Creating transformative change 1: Grassroots movements
20:28 A 101 on housing cooperatives in Switzerland
23:17 Creating transformative change 2: Policy instrument mixes
28:41 Creating transformative change 3: Timing and sequencing
40:39 Katrin's current endeavours in biodiversity
45:16 Underground resources governance
52:35 The road ahead for Katrin
54:10 Q&A Start
54:30 What inspires you
56:55 If you had a magic wand
59:22 Key moment, book, person
1:01:24 Biggest challenge to date
1:07:23 Time management
1:12:10 Advice for young researchers
1:14;32 Where can people find you
1:15:00 Final message
1:15:22 Outro

Detailed shownotes over at: petermbach.com/podcast for more in-depth information about each episode.
Join the community over at: linkedin.com/company/tgcpodcast and let's connect across the world!

Subscribe and listen to the podcast (and do please leave a review/rating) on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts from.
Your subscription/follow will greatly help the show grow and reach a wider audience.

Hosted by Peter Marcus Bach (www.petermbach.com), follow me on:

• X (fomerly Twitter): @petermbach
• Instagram: @petermbach87
• Subscribe to my channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PeterMarcusBach/